Khawlah Noman and her brother had only been walking for two minutes when she became aware a man was following them on their way to school Friday morning.

The 11-year-old -- a Grade 6 student of Pauline Johnson Junior Public School in Scarborough -- and her sibling, Mohammad, were walking along Birchmount Rd., north of Sheppard Ave., around 9 a.m. when the stranger swiped at her blue hijab with a pair of scissors and sliced a 30 cm tear in the headdress.

Khawlah Noman, 11, and her brother Mohammad Zakarijja were walking to Pauline Johnson Public School in Scarborough when a man sliced her hijab with a pair of scissors on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018.

"I screamed," Noman said. "The man just ran away. We followed this crowd of people to be safe. He came again. He continued cutting my hijab again. He was smiling."

Toronto Police describe the man as Asian, in his 20s, with a medium build, around 5-foot-10, with black hair and a moustache. He was wearing glasses, a black hoodie and black pants.

The man fled the scene after the frightening incident.

ASSAULT:
Pauline Johnson Public School
*Correction*
-There is only 1 victim
-She was attacked twice by the same man 10 minutes apart#GO70367
^dh

Police spokesman Katrina Arrogante confirmed the child was allegedly attacked twice by the same man in less than 10 minutes.

"There is certainly concern for public safety, considering there is a man that has been reported as having a pair of scissors considered a weapon," she said. "Given the nature of what he had used it for, yes, it's a bit of a public safety issue."

Noman said she ran to the school and immediately told the principal, who notified her mother.

"I feel this is terrible and I feel like this should stop," the student said. "I think what you're doing is wrong. You should not act like this, especially cause I'm a kid. I felt confused, scared, terrified."

Noman's mom, who also spoke to media at the school Friday afternoon, teared up as she recounted seeing her daughter's damaged headscarf.

"I came to the school right away," a visibly upset Saima Samad said. "I'm just so happy she's safe...It's just not Canada. I'm so proud to be a Canadian and I feel safe in this community. It's just, it's not right. He should get help. This is not who we are."

Samad said the family has lived in Canada for the 25 years and she grew up here, but she will exercise more caution when her kids walk to school from now on.

Khawlah Noman, 11, is accompanied by her brother Mohammad Zakarijja and their mom Saima Samad as she recalls a man slicing her hijab as she and her sibling walked to Pauline Johnson Public School in Scarborough on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018.

Wearing a hijab, she said, is a sacred part of the Muslim religion.

"It is offensive, obviously," she said. "We don't know his intentions. I'm very frustrated and angry. But we believe in peace. I want to give him the message -- 'We're all in this together and we should live in harmony.' It's a multicultural country."

This is a cowardly act of hatred, and it has no place in Ontario. This does not represent who we are. We must stand firm in our support of this young girl who was assaulted simply for wearing a hijab.

The Toronto District School Board released a statement shortly after the incident.

“A student at Pauline Johnson Public School was assaulted by an unknown male while on her way to school this morning," spokesman Ryan Bird said.

"Toronto Police and the student’s family were immediately contacted by the school," he said. "We are shocked to learn of this assault and we will be working closely with police to offer any assistance that we can."

I am saddened and shocked that one of our students was assaulted on her way to school by a person who cut her hijab. I represent all of our staff when I say that this incident is so very wrong on so many levels. We will support our student, her family and our community.